- Finnish-based dark web site Sipulimarket has been taken offline and its Bitcoin seized
- Sipulimarket took over from former dark web giant Silkkitie, which was closed in 2019
- Finnish customs seized an unknown amount of bitcoin
Finnish-based dark web site Sipulimarket has been shut down in a joint operation between Finnish customs, Polish police, and Europol, with bitcoin seized as a result. The site, which launched not long after the Silkkitie dark web site was taken down last year, has become a firm favorite among Scandinavian dark web users, with its closure striking another blow against dark web operators.
Sipulimarket Became Finland’s Premiere Dark Web Site
Sipulimarket, created in 2019, had become the largest Finnish darknet market site following the closure of Silkkitie, considered the Finnish Silk Road, in May last year. Sipulimarket filled the gap left by Silkkitie, servicing the Scandinavian market, and was known to be one of the bigger dark web sites in Europe, although for obvious reasons the actual income is unknown.
Like many dark web sites, Sipulimarket focused on the sale of narcotics, but digital items and credit card information was also for sale. The website used an escrow system, where money paid for items would reside until the transaction had been completed.
Bitcoin Haul Not Revealed
It has not been revealed how much bitcoin was recovered from the escrow accounts and the Sipulimarket wallets, but given that they were one of Scandanavia’s largest dark web sites it can be assumed that the haul was large in size. Finnish customs carried out the Bitcoin seizure, with the proceeds likely to be auctioned off next year.
A statement released by Europol revealed the extent of the collaboration needed to bring Sipulimarket to ground, with Finnish Customs (Tulli) working with Polish Provincial Police Headquarters, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), Eurojust (European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation), and cybersecurity firm Bitdefender.
